The Book of Raven

[A3n]

works for me.

[IAmBatman]

Yeah, I'm happy with it as well. SP updated.

There's a good chance that I start on Apocalypse's test, then take a break on him halfway through to test her, then finish him off. Titans are my priority, but I want to give the ERB some time here.

[johnny139]

Just the sort of thing I was picturing, too. Looks good.

[IAmBatman]

I'll take the Go Lions! Those cats can swing (a game).

Thanks for the review! You're dead on about Magical Defense.

Cheers,
Bats

Originally Posted by davidlhsl

Raven

Just returned from a great evening at the symphony: Mahler’s 8th!!!

Lots of people on stage. There wasn’t enough room to swing a cat, which pretty much ruined the performance. Oh sure, you throw in a children’s choir, two adult choirs, eight soloists, two harps, the organ, more brass than the inside of Flavor Flav’s mouth, but I want to see somebody swing a cat!

Maybe next time.

Oh, you have a Titan for me to review!!!

Team Empath
Very nice: (1) transfer wounds to Raven, or (2) add +1 move per enemy figure swarming your poor Titan/Sidekick.

What about: (3) Raven swings a cat! No? Moving along,

Soul Self
Oh, and this works really well with Team Empath as well. Have Raven take a wound, then transfer it to somebody else. This can happen on the same turn, which you’ll likely do on your last order marker on Raven. Clear sight isn’t specified, so this should cover quite a bit of a regular map.

But if you want to swing a cat, you’ll need clear sight on the figure you plan to hit with the cat.

Magical Resistance
I think the ability is supposed to be Magical Defense instead of Magical Resistance, because the text matches Magical Defense.

It’s my fault for swinging that poor kitty! Here, kitty, have a warm saucer of milk. (Purrrrr)

I like cats.

Final Thoughts
How I went from Mahler’s “Symphony of a Thousand” to swinging a poor kitty cat is something I don’t intend to think too much about. Perhaps it’s getting close to bed time.

I like the design. Go, Titans! (or, Go, Lions!)

[quozl]

I like what you guys hashed out while I was away.

Also, the Unleashed mini looks way better.

[IAmBatman]

That's two votes for the Unleashed mini, and my vote for the Icons mini (which I have incorrectly numbered and named in the OP - whoops. ).

Any more votes?

[IAmBatman]

Yeah, since Magical Defense (mislabeled that one ) only lets her take one wound at a time in most instances, had to be really careful with how often she could heal, or she'd be straight up broken.

Thanks for the feedback!

Cheers,
Bats

Originally Posted by Porkins

Looks good, no obvious flaws. The ability to shift wounds all over the place should be a fun addition to the game. What about Raven vs. Raven? I guess that's why the "remove unrevealed OM's" in the Soul Self power, so that Raven vs. Raven can't just trade wounds back and forth.

Now just make sure not to create somebody down the line that bonds with Raven since the Soul Self power doesn't reference revealing an OM....oops, NVM - it says once per round. Looks like you've got it covered.

[IAmBatman]

C3G INITIAL PLAYTEST FEEDBACK FORM

NAME OF THE TEST UNIT (RAVEN)

- THEME TEST/ Check to see if there are any powers or stats on the test unit card that does not accurately reflect the theme or likeness of what the character would and could do. Also consider destructible objects, and whether or not this characters powers should affect them.
PASS

- MIRROR TEST/ Check to see if the unit were played against itself, if there would be any loops that would upset the balance of the Game.
PASS

- BONDING TEST/ Compare the unit card with all possible currently existing Bonding abilities to make sure there are no continual Bonding possibilities that do not stop appropriately or do not stop at all. This is to prevent loops in Bonding.
PASS

- SYNERGIES TEST/ Compare the unit card with all possible currently existing synergies to make sure there are no factors that could break the game by making any unit to powerful or too weak.
PASS

- POWER CHECK/ Consider the test unit and all existing units and all glyphs to compare to and check for any powers that could be over amplified and break the game. Each power must define when it takes place, who or what it affects, and What are the stipulations on the power if there are any.
PASS

- FUN TEST/ Consider whether or not the design was fun to play.
PASS

- FUN COMPETITIVE TEST/ Consider whether or not the design was fun to play against.
PASS

- DRAFTING TEST/ Consider whether or not this design is worth drafting.
PASS

- USAGE TEST/ Consider whether or not all of the powers on this card were used or at least usable.
PASS

- STRATEGY TEST/ Consider whether or not the design offers any real strategy or interesting tactics to the overall game.
PASS

Heavy Hitter or Mid-Level Hero Test
- Does it pass, Yes or No? Yes
- What should be the unit's point value? 190-200
- Give a brief overview. Single attackers struggle against Raven one-on-one as she can burn extra OMs without consequence to end the game with a Soul Self usage.

Spoiler Alert!

TEST 1
Map: Custom
Units: Raven vs. Huntress (170)
Ruthless Counter Strike won the day here, causing five of Raven’s wounds. Magical Defense and Soul Self (which transferred one wound at the end of Round 1) were nice here, but Huntress just rolled a lot of skulls for Ruthless Counter Strike and it was killer.
Who won and how many wounds did they have? Huntress with 3 Wounds wins Turn 1, Round 2.

TEST 2
Map: Custom
Units: Raven vs. Huntress (170)
Raven took a wound disengaging early and tempted Huntress into staying at optimal Crossbow range (2 spaces away), and thusly avoided Ruthless Counter Strike. Her normal attacks from range only cracked through once, but she did transfer one wound over each round with Soul Self, including the game winner in the second turn of Round 3.
Who won and how many wounds did they have? Raven with 3 Wounds wins Turn 1, Round 3.

TEST 3
Map: Custom
Units: Raven vs. Lady Shiva (175)
Raven used her superior range and mobility to get off the first strike and then kite Lady Shiva a bit, getting 3 quick wounds on the Assassin. Lady Shiva got the first strike of the first round, though, and the first strike of the second round thanks to an initiative switch. Both were Leopard Blow attempts, but netted only one wound each. Raven simply used Soul Self to swap the last wound onto Shiva to win the game.
Who won and how many wounds did they have? Raven with 1 Wound wins Turn 1, Round 2.

TEST 4
Map: Custom
Units: Raven vs. Lady Shiva (175)
Rough matchup for Lady Shiva, who just can’t put wounds on Raven fast enough, and took three wounds (including the last one) once again from Raven’s Soul Self. Shiva’s only hope was an auto destroy with Leopard Blow, but she couldn’t get three skulls in any of her attempts. Raven freely disengaged (and Shiva missed both swipes) in order to avoid counter striking.
Who won and how many wounds did they have? Raven with Full Life wins Turn 1, Round 3.

TEST 5
Map: Custom
Units: Raven vs. Black Canary (190)
Black Canary struck early with her Canary Cry, blocked Raven’s attack, and took a wound from Soul Self to end Round 1. In Round 2, Canary got in four straight attacks with Fists of Fury, Raven, wounded and desperate, transferred a wound over with Soul Self, then Black Canary exploded for another four attack turn and wiped the map with Raven.
Who won and how many wounds did they have? Black Canary with 2 Wounds wins Turn 2, Round 2.

TEST 6
Map: Custom
Units: Raven vs. Black Canary (190)
Black Canary got off the first attack, with Fists of Fury giving her three straight attacks, resulting in 2 wounds on Raven. Raven then gained height and put 3 quick wounds on Black Canary with a normal attack (5 skulls rolled). Black Canary hit back, for only one attack this time (a 2 skull roll) and put a third wound on Raven. Raven ended the round with Soul Self transferring a wound to Black Canary to finish her off.
Who won and how many wounds did they have? Raven with 2 Wounds wins Turn 3, Round 1.

TEST 7
Map: Custom
Units: Raven vs. Batman (200)
This one came down to an initiative roll. With Batman rolling decently for Evasive Strike (2 of 4), Raven leaned heavy on Soul Self (accounting for all three wounds) and even burnt an OM by using it on her second turn in Round 3 (rather than risk Evasive Strike), which also helped her move a wound at a good time for it. But Batman hit her for another wound on his OM 3, then won initiative in Round 4 and punched her out.
Who won and how many wounds did they have? Batman with 3 Wounds wins Turn 1, Round 4.

TEST 8
Map: Custom
Units: Raven vs. Batman (200)
Batman skipped a lot of Turn 3 attacks in hopes of stymying Soul Self, but he also failed all of his Evasive Strike rolls (0 for 5), and took 3 wounds from Raven from normal attacks. Then he had no choice but to attack, but Raven easily moved the wound she took over to finish him.
Who won and how many wounds did they have? Raven with Full Life wins Turn 2, Round 3.

TEST 9
Map: Custom
Units: Raven vs. Cyborg (200)
This one was very back and forth, with both Titans blocking a lot of attacks, Cyborg healing 3 wounds with Cybernetic Repair X, and Raven transferring three wounds with Soul Self, including the last one.
Who won and how many wounds did they have? Raven with 3 Wounds wins Turn 3, Round 3.

TEST 10
Map: Custom
Units: Raven vs. Cyborg (200)
Cyborg got it close, but he didn’t roll well consistently enough on offense, and once she got him to four wounds, it was easy for her to end it. Cyborg healed 4 wounds with Cybernetic Repair X, which was also the number of wounds he took from Soul Self.
Who won and how many wounds did they have? Raven with 3 Wounds wins Turn 2, Round 3.

_____________________________________________________________

Squad Test
- Does it pass, Yes or No? Yes
- What should be the unit's point value? 170
- Give a brief overview. Raven felt just overmatched here.
Map: Custom
Units: Raven vs. Vampire Minions x2 (180)

Spoiler Alert!

Stealth Dodge was useful for keeping the Minions alive early as they moved en masse to meet Raven in the middle of the map. They did have to sacrifice height for all but one figure due to being melee, but they hit two Bloodthirsty rolls, which was huge for them. Raven only used Soul Self once, at the end of Round 1.
Who won and how many wounds did they have? Vampire Minions with 4 of 6 remaining win Turn 2, Round 2.

_____________________________________________________________

Squad Test
- Does it pass, Yes or No? Yes
- What should be the unit's point value? 200
- Give a brief overview. This one was very close, with the Amazon Warriors just edging it out.
Map: Custom
Units: Raven vs. Amazon Warriors x2 (200)

Spoiler Alert!

Their 5 defense kept the Amazon Warriors alive as they moved en masse and they just managed to survive long enough to get enough multiple attacks to do this. Had Raven gotten one more kill early on, she would’ve been facing down a single Amazon Warrior and would’ve been able to end it with Soul Self.
Who won and how many wounds did they have? Amazon Warriors with 2 of 4 figures remaining win Turn 2, Round 3.

_____________________________________________________________

Army Test
- Does it pass, Yes or No? Yes
- What should be the unit's point value? 170?
- Give a brief overview. I think this was mostly a bad match up. The Titans didn’t have enough ability to attack multiple squaddies at the same time, and multiple attacks from the Gorillas cleaved through them quickly. Cyborg got some garbage time kills to make it closer than it was.
Map: Custom
Units: Raven (190), Kid Flash (110), Cyborg (200), Robin (100), Wonder Girl (140), Aqualad (60) (800) vs. Gorilla Grodd (225), Gorilla City Warriors x3 (375), Super-Ape Mikhlo (200) (800)

Spoiler Alert!

Ouch. I was contemplating a raise in cost to 200 until this one. Magical Defense was nice, but against powerful squaddies like this, it didn’t keep Raven in the game long. She managed to take one wound from Wonder Girl (which didn’t save Wonder Girl) and used Soul Self to take out one Gorilla City Warrior. Gorilla Grodd was untouchable here. Robin and Aqualad led the charge but even though they and Kid Flash (who brought up the rear) had some defensive powers to keep them around, Gorilla Grodd took out Aqualad fast and Robin and Kid Flash followed by Round 3.
Wonder Girl did get some amped up attacks to help her clock a couple of Gorillas, then Raven came in for back up, but the Gorilla City Warriors free from Robin and Kid Flash just tore through them both.
Cyborg followed up and took out about four Gorilla City Warriors with his special attack. A better match up for the Titans would’ve included Pteradactyl Beast Boy carrying Cyborg into position to blast squaddies right away, followed by Wonder Girl and Raven as back up. Aqualad, Robin, and Kid Flash just didn’t offer enough value.
Who won and how many wounds did they have? Gorilla Grodd with Full Life, Mikhlo with Full Life, and 2 Gorilla City Warriors win Turn 1, Round 6.

_____________________________________________________________

Army Test
- Does it pass, Yes or No? Yes
- What should be the unit's point value? 190
- Give a brief overview. This felt perfectly balanced!
Map: Custom
Units: Raven (190), Cyborg (200), Robin (100), Beast Boy (60), Beast Boy Pteradactyl (40), Starfire (210) (800) vs. Deathstroke (280), Hush (220), Red Tornado (300) (800)

Spoiler Alert!

This came down to an initiative roll. Hush won for Round 9 and got in the last wound on Raven with his normal attack. Had she won, she would’ve used Soul Self to win it.
Robin took two wounds early from Deathstroke’s special attack, then Starfire pummeled Deathstroke with her Protective Fury. Raven pitched in with one wound on Deathstroke with her normal attack
Red Tornado came in and evened the odds, taking down Starfire, Cyborg, and Beast Boy. He kept Raven away from her teammates by blowing Titans around the map, minimizing her ability to heal up allies early.
Raven followed Starfire and Cyborg and put the last three wounds on Red Tornado, mostly with Soul Self.
This brought up end game with 1 wound Robin and 1 wound Raven versus Hush. Raven caused the last two wounds on Hush and Robin wounded him a few times a well. The biggest thing Raven did was heal two wounds from Robin, allowing Robin to continue being his annoying self and give Raven more offensive opportunities. Hush managed to take Robin out with a single attack, though, then finally finished off Raven (who he had his Vendetta against).
Raven used Soul Self to take wounds off of herself 4 times in all, and healed 2 wounds in all from allies. She did a total of 6 wounds, 1 on Deathstroke, 2 on Hush, and 3 on Red Tornado.
This is a match up she’s much more fit to shine in than against the Gorilla City Warriors. I’m feeling good about 190 right now.
Who won and how many wounds did they have? Hush with 1 Life wins on Turn 1 of Round 9.

[IAmBatman]

Test sheet updated with heavy hitters. She's feeling like 190-200 so far.

Hopefully I'll get in the squad tests at least tomorrow.

[IAmBatman]

All set here. I like 190. 24 hours on the clock!

[Lord Pyre]

Looks good! Pre-Yea

[A3n]

Pre-Yea